Monster
by Soleil Avec la Pluie
Summary: Gilbert Belischmidt was one of the top assassins in a underground league that was built to take down the top companies of the world. But when Arthur Kirkland becomes his next target, he finds himself falling in love. AU, PrUK and slight USUK.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ugh, this was a bitch to write. It really took me much longer than it should've, but I got a cold (on a holiday, too!). I really need to write more, I do need the practice. But enough about me let's get the lowdown on this story.**

**Well, muse decided to wake up after I saw Repo! The Genetic Opera (one of the best movies I've ever seen. If you haven't seen it go watch it, like, now) and I had the idea of an assassin stuck in my head, but I couldn't figure out exactly what I wanted to write. So with the help of my lovely friend Anime Monster, this plot came to be (you're a life saver). Oh, and before I forget, Happy Be-lated Birthday MackyMouse49! Sorry this is so late, I already stated my (lame) excuse. Anyway, I'll shut up now, enjoy!**

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Gilbert Belischmidt was sitting in some random tree, cleaning his gun when he got a phone call. A phone call that would change his life forever, but that's explained later on. He flipped open his cell phone in a quite skillful way that was quite unnecessary, but he did it because he was just that awesome and to prove that he _can_. He looked at the caller ID and sighed when he saw the name. _Bragniski…_

"Hello, Gilbert Belischmidt speaking, how can my awesomeness help you?" he answered, his voice showing no trace of the fear he felt.

"Hello Gilbert," a voice came from the other end of the line that would have made some grown men get a shiver up their spine, "how are you?"

Gilbert frowned, Ivan wanted something, he could tell. "I'm awesome, as always. I just blew the last target's brains in so I'm quite giddy. Do you need something, _sir?_" That last word stung on his tongue, he _hated _calling Bragniski that.

Ivan emitted a childish but disturbing laugh. "Always one to get to the point, _da?_" Gilbert twitched, he hated this man's guts. "I have a new target for you, can you come to headquarters as soon as possible?"

Headquarters? He hadn't been there in years, and would like it to stay that way. "Why can't you phone me this target?" He asked, hoping to convince Bragniski otherwise.

"But this is a very special target, and I need you to do this job perfectly. It's very important."

Gilbert jumped down from his place in the tree and sighed, "I'll be there as soon as possible, sir."

"Wonderful." _Click._

* * *

Arthur Kirkland sighed as rain began to fall outside. "What a surprise…" he grumbled, setting his tea cup down on its saucer. Why did it always have to rain, why couldn't it be sunny for once? The rain was too depressing…even though Arthur viewed almost everything as depressing nowadays. Was it his fault anyway? Well, I guess so, because he really didn't have anything to be depressed _about_; he had a pretty good life.

"Turn the frown upside down, Iggy!" a voice said from behind him and soft lips pressed akiss to his cheeks.

"How many times have I told you not to call me that, git?" he growled, but didn't really mean it, he never did.

Alfred Jones smiled, his blue eyes sparkling with love for the stuffy old British man. For reasons Arthur could never find out, the young man was absolutely smitten with him. Arthur was, no matter how many times he denied it, also head over heels for him as well. What was there not to love? He was handsome, charming, funny…everything someone would long for. But why did he feel…unsatisfied? It was quite rare that anyone would even _think_ about being his acquaintance, let alone in a relationship with him. So he should feel lucky, right?

"How was work, love?" Arthur asked, running his fingers through Alfred's golden locks. He was exactly sure how Alfred's head had ended up in his lap, but he didn't ponder on the subject.

Alfred groaned, closing his cerulean eyes. "Terrible! People have stopped investing in our stocks! Damn the American economy…"

Alfred was the CEO of an American company he inherited from his father (George something…? Arthur could never remember that man's last name...) and had moved to England to be with Arthur after they finished college. The company was going through a hard time; production had decreased, there were more lay off every day, it just kept getting worse. Apparently they were in debt to some Russian company, but Alfred never wanted to talk about it to Arthur. He was kept in the dark and Arthur didn't like, but he dealt with it.

Alfred sat up and cupped Arthur's chin in his hands. "But my day got ten times better when I saw your beautiful face." Alfred said his voice traced with adoration.

Arthur blushed, pink tinting his pale cheeks. "D-don't say such things, you g-git."

Alfred kissed Arthur's nose. "You're just too cute, Iggy."

Ah, the dreaded Iggy nickname. Alfred knew how much Arthur despised it, but insisted on calling him it anyway. Alfred had told him that, "I think Iggy is a cool name for a British guy, and it would sound so cool in that cute accent of yours." Of course Arthur would never in a million years say that dreaded name, but Alfred kept pushing it anyway. Why was he in love with that git, he was annoying as hell, but so wonderful…no Arthur, don't think those kind of thoughts!

Alfred got up from the couch and stretched. "What do you want for dinner, darling?"

"Oh, I can make it, you're just so stressed from work and all-"

Alfred paled lightly and shook his head. "No, no, that's fine Artie! I'll make it!"

Arthur smiled at him. "Oh, alright, if you don't mind…"

Alfred tried to hide the look of relief on his face. No matter how much he loved Arthur, his food sucked. He told Arthur that once and he got so mad at him that he was forced to sleep on the couch for a week before he was finally forgiven.

While Alfred was preparing dinner, Arthur went to go search for a book to read. Reading was one of his few passions; he could just disappear from reality itself and explore a different world dilled with so many possibilities. He didn't see why people didn't read more, it was wonderful. He often nagged Alfred about reading, but Alfred would just laugh at him and go back to his video games (honestly, he was such a child sometimes). He ran his hand over the many books on the grand bookshelf lovingly, like they were his own children. There were so many choices: Oliver Twist, Pride and Prejudice, Moby-Dick, Don Quixote…how was he to choose? He decided on A Midsummer's Night Dream, who didn't love Shakespeare?

He was about to grab the book from the shelf when movement from the window caught his attention. Arthur slowly shifted his head to catch a glance at the window and what he saw made him scream with terror. Two blood red eyes were staring back at him and the figure had silver hair that was shimmering slightly in the moonlight. Then it was gone it a flash, like it was never there.

Arthur heard Alfred's thundering footsteps run up the stairs and into the room. "I heard you scream, are you ok?" Alfred said and wrapped Arthur in a warm embrace.

Arthur nodded, still slightly shocked. What was that? Why was it watching him? Poor Arthur's questions won't be answered for quite some time, for he has a lot in store for him.

* * *

**A/N: Ew, the USUK fluff. Don't worry, it'll go away…eventually (there will be PrUk, Anime!)**

***shakes tin can marked REVIEWS* Please? Even flames are welcome, I'll give them plenty of wood and crap like that!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone, I'm back! Wow, I didn't think I'd get that many reviews so quickly! It was really nice to wake up and see all of those, thank you! I tried to make this chapter a bit longer than the last one just because I was so inspired. I got up at 9 am (legasp! The earliness!) just to finish this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: (I forgot this last time!) Hetalia doesn't belong to me, if it did, I would have _so _made GerIta canon by now.**

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* * *

**Gilbert was not happy. Not happy one bit. This new target…why was he so damn frustrating? He didn't do _anything_ interesting: he just sat around the house all day, reading a book, drinking tea, all of that old man stuff. He should go outside, get some fresh air, _something_. He had no life whatsoever!

Wait, why should he care anyway? Arthur was just another target; he'd have to kill him at some point. _No, don't think about that. Depressing thoughts will put a damper on your awesomeness! _But he couldn't help it, the image of Arthur lying lifeless on the ground, blood staining his blond hair below him…

He shook his head, trying to clear the picture from his thoughts. _No...that's not good either_. It had been a long time since a target had affected him this way; the last was a little girl in Greece...he was never the same after that.

He was currently watching Arthur from a bush in Arthur's well kept garden (Arthur was _obsessed _with it). Sure, a bush wasn't the best stake out spot, but it worked, right? Anyway, Arthur was cooking up some form of…food substance in the kitchen for lunch. Gilbert had never seen anyone who was a worst cook than Arthur; his creations would probably make most of toughest the men in the organization cry for their mommies.

He watched Arthur sit down and begin to eat. Arthur was so interesting…he rarely had targets this intriguing. The way he walked, the way he acted, the way he talked…it fascinated Gilbert. He didn't know why it was just-wait, what was Arthur doing? It seemed he had spilt some of the…substance and it was on his arm…was he licking himself clean? Gilbert watched with wide eyes as Arthur ran his tongue across his arm and he felt his "vital regions" twitch slightly. Why was he aroused by that? Why did he have to be so damn-?

_No…this is bad…this is very~ bad…_This was so ruining his mission! _Calm down, awesome, you're just turned on by him, nothing too serious. Get yourself together, man!_ This was just lust, the same thing happened to him with some Italian guy, too, and he killed him without regret; but why did he feel like this time it was different? He can't risk this one…he'd be "kicked out" of the organization for sure.

The organization, the lovely organization; it was his life, his home, but also his prison. Once you were in, there was no getting out, unless you wanted to kick the bucket early. The sadistic, but yet naïve and childish, leader of the organization was the one who taught him everything he knows. He and Bragniski have had an _interesting_ relationship; they're history was something Gilbert didn't like thinking about much, but Ivan always brought it up whenever he saw fit. As Gilbert was deep in his thoughts, he didn't notice a certain Brit walk out the front door and down the quiet London sidewalk.

* * *

"Would you like some more tea, Arthur-san?" Kiku asked with his usual calm expression.

Arthur smiled, "No thank you, Kiku."

They were at one of the many luncheons that the wives of top company officials attended (in Arthur and Kiku's case, boyfriends). On Arthur's first luncheon he felt out of place as all of the women gossiped and complimented each other's appearance, but then he met Kiku. Kiku seemed to know how he felt and introduced himself by starting a conversation on world affairs, which Arthur was highly aware of the subject (unlike Alfred, he seemed to be in his own little world sometimes). The two had a strong bond and where inseparable at these gatherings, like it was just the two of them. Kiku's boyfriend, Hercules, was the CEO of a company that manufactured and sold cat products. Arthur had no idea how the man was so successful; most of the time he was asleep or playing with his plethora of cats. But yet the company was on the top of the charts…it really didn't make any sense.

"How is Alfred-san?" Kiku asked bringing his tea cup to his lips. He was a very apathetical man at times, for in Japan showing one's emotions in public was rude (according to Kiku, anyway). He could calm even the angriest or distraught person, maybe that's why he was a psychiatrist before he met Hercules.

Arthur sighed and leans back on the overly frilly couch. "Work's been hard on him. He doesn't seem like himself, but maybe that's just due to the stress."

Kiku nodded, "Hai, you're probably right."

I'm just worried, you know? I don't want him to turn into one of those workaholic men who don't come home until 3 am." he sighed, running his fingers through his sandy blond locks. Even though he wasn't satisfied with their relationship, Arthur still cared for the young man like he was his little brother. Which was weird, knowing he had sex with his younger brother figure-Arthur shuddered. Thinking thoughts like that was not good for his mental health.

Kiku smiled that annoyingly knowing smile, "I'm sure he'll be fine, Arthur-san. Everyone has rough patches in all of their life. It's only natural."

Arthur leaned back against the couch. "You're probably right, after all-."

Suddenly the large doors of the dining room swung open and hit the wall with a loud BANG! There in the doorway stood a tall man who was panting slightly, like he had just run three blocks with cement blocks tied to his shoes. He was pale and had silver hair with red eyes-wait, silver hair and red eyes? The encounter with the creature last night flashed through his mind. This couldn't be the same thing, or should he say man? The man's eyes wandered around the room until they locked with Arthur's emerald ones and relief seemed to flood through him.

He must have realized that he must be terrifying the group of socialites and leaned against the door frame, trying to look cool (and pulling it off). "Hello ladies and gentlemen please pardon my intrusion," he said in a highly accented voice that would probably make most young women swoon, "See, I'm not from around here and I was wondering where I could call a cab."

Arthur stood up quickly and looked towards the foreigner. "I was just leaving anyway; I'll get my driver for this young man."

"Arthur-san-" Kiku started but Arthur was already half way out the door.

As soon as they were out of earshot, however, Arthur slammed the stranger against the wall. "What do you want?"

"Want?" the man with a teasing grin. "I want a ride of course; do you have short term memory loss?"

Arthur shook his head, "No! I mean, why are you following me?"

The man's smirk turned into a confused but slightly amused look, "Following you? I have no idea what you are talking about, this is the first time I have ever seen you in my life."

Arthur sighed and let the man go, "I apologize, I thought you were someone else…"

A knowing smirk flashed on the man's face before it returned to normal. Something about him intrigued Arthur, like a cat to a ball of yarn. There was something strange about him and Arthur needed to find out exactly what it was-.

A pale hand waving in front of his face snapped him back to reality, "Hello~? You ok?"

Arthur nodded grimly, "Yes, I'm fine." He led the young man out to the front of the building to the front of the building where many expensive cars were parked and waiting for their owners and Arthur strode up to his own and opened the door for Gilbert to climb in and got in after him and shut the door after him. "Hello Giles."

His driver looked in the rearview mirror with curiosity. "Hello Mr. Kirkland, who's-?"

"He's someone that needs a ride to-where are you going anyway?" Arthur asked.

"Big Ben."

Arthur smiled, "Tourist?"

The man gave him a sheepish smile and held up a camera, "Guilty as charged."

Arthur chuckled, "Big Ben then, Giles." He said and they sped off. "So where are you from?"

The man was busy looking out the window, "Around."

Arthur shook his head, "I don't think you fully understand my question; I mean, where are you from, where is your heritage?"

The man sighed and turned towards Arthur, "Germany, though my roots are Prussian. That answer your question?"

Arthur was hurt slightly but said, "Prussia…that's fascinating!" Arthur looked down at his knees, feeling a bit guilty. "I'm sorry if I struck a nerve, it's really none of my business…"

"Nah, it's alright, you didn't know." The man said, trying to give Arthur reassurance.

"We're here, sir." Giles said, motioning towards the giant clock tower.

The Prussian opened the door and got out, "Thanks for the ride," and with that, he was gone.

"That has got to be one of the strangest young men I've ever met." Giles stated with a sigh.

"Yeah…" Arthur sighed, watching the form disappear out the window. "Take me home, Giles."

* * *

Arthur slammed the front door shut and collapsed on the living room couch, shielding his eyes from the light. _What a strange day, _he thought turning on his side, _who was that man? I could've sworn he was the one from the night-_before he could continue with his troubled thoughts, however, he was hugged from behind. "Wh-what the bloody-?"

"Iggy! Where have you been?" the familiar voice of Alfred exclaimed, "I came home early to surprise you but you weren't here! I was so worried!"

Arthur sat up and looked into Alfred's worried blue eyes, "I was just at another luncheon; you can ask Giles and Kiku."

Alfred pulled him into another hug and whispered, "Just don't go anywhere without telling me, 'kay?"

_"He's not a part of your property, bastard." _Arthur thought he heard someone growl from somewhere behind him, but ignored it.

Arthur nodded, "Alright, I will."

Alfred kissed Arthur's nose, "Love you, Artie."

**A/N: So there you go hope you liked it! Please review, it helps fuel the creativity! N-not that I c-care that you guys read my st-story or anything! I-it's just what I'm supposed to do! But…thanks…they really do mean a lot to me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Holy smokes, guys, thank you so much for your awesome reviews! Sorry thisis kind of late, but I've been distracted by school and stuff, but I wanted to finish this before exam week (and here it is, one day before ;) ). Thanks again for putting up with me and taking the time to read this. I love you all so~ much!**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia doesn't belong to me in any shape or form.**

Ivan Braginiski sat at his desk, twiddling a sunflower through his fingers like it was the most precious thing in th world. Its life was so simple: eat, live, and grow, that's all. It didn't have any worries except for hungry animals wanting food to eat. No companies to run, collect debt money, run an underground league, _no top assassins that don't report in after two weeks of recieving their target! _Ivan slammed his fist on the surface of his desk, chipping some of he wood off. Where the hell was Gilbert! He should have blasted Kirkland's brains in by now, he wasn't a tough target! This wasn't like Belischmidt at all; there was something strange going on, and Ivan didn't like it, and when Ivan didn't like something, it usually stopped right when he gave the word.

He looked down at Gilbert's file on his desk; it had his picture with his trademark smirk, his list of assignments (completed and uncompleted), and current location. Ivan stamped MISSING in that space, no matter how much he hated doing so. Why did they all leave? Why couldn't they realize they'd all be happy together? He'd laugh with them, cook for them, protect, them, _love _them...

A sudden banging on his door brought him back to reality and he paled. _Natalia is early..._he quickly put things in drawers, making it look like he was never here. If he wasn't here, she would leave.

"Big Brother!" the chilling voice of his younger sister cried. "Big Brother, are you in there? Open the door! We must make our companies become one!"

Once he was done cleaning up, he quickly scrambled into the closet, just as the door was kicked down with a loud _BANG!_Ivan sighed, that would be the third door this month.

"Brother, I know you're in here, don't make me come looking for you!" Natalia's voice cried shrilly, making a shiver go down Ivan's spine. Natalia was the only human being that completely and utterly terrified him.

Ever since the death of her husband a year ago, she had become obsessed with Ivan, insisting that they're companies get "married", even though they had nothing to do with each other (Natalia's company sold knives while Ivan sold condoms and other things like it). Ivan had always known Natalia was insane, but she hid it well, and that...event must have been the breaking point.

He heard a shuffling of papers and Natalia whisper something along the lines of, "Big Brother...love me...Gilbert...target," but he made no sense of it.

"M-Mr. Bragniski? I have the file you asked for-" came the voice of his assistant Toris, "oh h-hi Natalia, y-you look nice today."

Ivan rolled his eyes, Torishad always had a crush on his younger sister. The reasons escaped him, however, maybe he had hit him over the head with his pipe too many times...

"Toris," Natalia said curtly and Ivan heard her leave the room quickly, probably leaving a depressed Toris behind.

"Thank you, comrade, for making her leave," Ivan said and crawled out of the closet, "I need to get some work done."

Toris jumped and turned around, facing the freakishly tall Russian and began shaking. "Y-you're welcome, s-sir. I-I brought that file you asked for."

Ivan quickly snatched the file from Toris' trembling hands and smiled at what he saw. Staring at him was the blank face of Elizabeta Héderváry, just as she was two years ago, before she had escaped. No one left Ivan without paying the price, "Toris, may you please send our top spies to track down Miss. Héderváry? It's very important~"

Toris bowed and turned to leave, "Of course, sir."

Neither of them noticed Gilbert's missing file, or Natalia calling her private jet to fly into London. _I'll eliminate brother's target, then he'll love me forever._

_

* * *

_

Arthur put the finishing touches on the flower arrangement in the dining room, for everything had to be perfect when Alfred got home. _Tonight's our anniversary, _he thought happily, _everything is going smoothly so far. I can't wait until he sees this!_

He checked to see if all of the candles were lit (for the fifth time) and ran to the door and leaned on the wall just as Alfred walked in. "Hello, darling," he said softly and with a smirk. He swept into Alfred's arms and, before he could react, was kissed deeply and with need.

Alfred broke the kiss and smiled down at his lover. "You really turn me on, ya' know," he almost sang and pulled Arthur closer again.

"Not now~, we have to eat dinner first," he said and pushed Alfred off of him, rolling his eyes at the pout. "We're having roast, love, so cheer up."

Alfred shuddered. "D-did you cook it?" he asked, trepidation flooding through him. The last time Arthur tried to cook for him, he had food poisoning for a week. That's why he always avoided eating with Arthur, he was usually too stubborn to admit that he was terrible at cooking and always made something "delicious and adventurous."

"Don't worry, I had Kiku help me. Now sit down, put your napkin in your lap, and get your elbows off the table!" Arthur acted more like Alfred's mother than his boyfriend at times, and no matter how annoying it got, Alfred found it adorable.

"Yes, mom~" he sang and was whacked by Arthur's towel, laughing.

Arthur heard the beep of the oven go off, signaling their dinner was was ready. He practically skipped to the kitchen, giddy that this was the first dinner he helped make was going to be sucessful. He pulled it out of the oven and brought it over to the table, setting it down and taking off the cover. The smell instantly filled the room and Alfred's mouth watered. Arthur felt quite smug and began carving the roast as slowly as possible, watching Alfred practically twitching in his seat.

"Hurry up~!" Alfred whined. "It's been, like, ten minuets!"

Arthur rolled his eyes and set the freshly carved meat on Alfred's plate, "It was only a minuet, dear."

"Whatever! It seemed like _forever!"_ he shouted then smiled brightley when Arthur laughed.

They ate like any happy couple would, and Alfred had even attempted to start a food fight, only to be scolded at by Arthur, going on about how he would have to clean up the mess. Alfred loved being with Arthur, he just made him forget about all his troubles (especially Russian ones at that), and he doesn't know what he would do if Arthur was ever taken away from him. Arthur was the reason he kept living, the reason he dealt with the stress of the coporate world and its tricks and lies.

At the end of the night, the two were snuggled on the couch, tucked tightly into blankets. Arthur lay his head on Alfred's chest and listened to his steady heartbeat, closing his eyes, feeling at peace.

"Mmmm, Ig?" Alfred mumbled, stroking Arthur's hair.

"What is it, love?" he asked, quite enjoying the position he was in.

"I could really go for some ice cream right now," he whispered into Arthur's ear and kissed his cheek lovingly, "could you go make me a bowl, please~?"

Arthur groaned but got up anyway, "Of course, _master,"_ he said and made his way into the kitchen.

He opened the freezer and looked for the fimiliar tub they always had stocked plenty of. After several minuets of searching, he frowned and closed the freezer door. It wouldn't hurt just to go buy some, right? He grabbed his coat and wallet and walked out the door, shivering as the chilly air hit his face. He walked down the dark streets, knowing them like the back of his hand. _Maybe I should've told Alfred I was leaving..._he shrugged, _oh well, what's done is done I suppose._

After walking for quiet some time, he stopped to rest at a park bench for a minuet. He looked at the stars, enjoying their twinkling glow, when he heard a shreik come from an alleyway somewhere behind him. HE jump up and ran towards the direction of the scream, hoping nothing terrible had happened. When he got there, he found a woman sobbing on the ground and he ran over to her.

"Miss, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice traced with worry.

The young woman looked up, her cold blue eyes filled with tears. "Some man attacked me and stole my p-purse!" she wailed.

Arthur gave her a reassuring smile and crouched down next to her. "Don't worry, I'll help you-" he began but was kicked in his stomach and fell to the ground where the girl pinned him down.

"You have done something that Big Brother doesn't like, so now I have to kill you!" she screamed and pulled out a large butcher knife that shown in the moonlight.

Arthur closed his eyes and brought his hands to his face, trying to sheild the blow. However, he heard a loud bang, almost like thunder rumbling in the sky, and something wet hit his face and he felt his attacker slumo over and fall the the ground, dead.

"No one touches him, bitch," a voice snarled from the end of the alleyway and out from the shadows stepped a man with silver hair and red eyes. Arthur stared at him with shock for a moment before his eyes went wide with realization, and he tried to form a coherent sentence. _It's him! It's that man from before!_

"Don't worry, you're safe now," the man said soothingly and cupped Arthur's cheek. "Sorry, for what I'm about to do, though, it's for you're own good."

Arthur looked at him with slight confusion before he was struck over the head, hard, and he fell forward, his vision darkening. He felt himself get picked up and slung over the man's shoulder before losing conciousness, all thoughts of vanilla ice cream and Alfred forgotten.

**A/N: Thanks for reading everyone and please review, it helps feed the muses!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I…I don't have an excuse this time. No, no, I'm not dead, just incredibly lazy and forgetful. Really, the lateness of this chapter is just appalling. I mean, I posted the last chapter in November, right? And I'm pretty sure this is April (if not, I'm a loser) so, like, yeah. I'm a terrible author; I hope you all can forgive me. I remembered this story a couple days ago and I'm, like, "Oh yeah! I have to write!" **

…**then my computer got a virus…BOB SAGAT!**

**So now my **_**"lovely" **_**sister *cough* computer NAZI *cough* is letting me borrow her laptop so I can write and post this. Thanks, onee-chan! So, yeahs, I hope you guys like this chapter and it doesn't completely suck. I am currently on Charlie Sheen, so it might be okay (I just hope I don't overdose, lol); so, lastly, please review! I hearts you all!**

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Arthur woke up with his head pounding, not sure what had happened the previous night. Had he gotten drunk again? No, he would be in a warm bed with Alfred's strong arms wrapped around him. So where the hell was he? He sat up and looked around and was surprised to see what looked like packing crates surrounding him. The floor under him was cold and he realized it was made of metal. It felt like he was driving in a car, perhaps that was just the effects of god knows what made his head pound so terribly. This was odd, very odd.

"So Sleeping Beauty finally awakes." Arthur jumped at the voice from behind him. A figure walked in front of him and he looked up to see a man with silver hair and crimson eyes. Wait…Arthur knew who he was! It was the man who needed a ride all those days ago. So why was he here now?

"Where am I?" He asked, putting on a tough face to hide his fear.

The man chuckled, "You're on a train heading for the French countryside." The albino sat down and began to eat what looked like a sausage. "Wurst?" He stuck the meat in front of Arthur's face.

Arthur gently pushed the wurst-wielding man's arm away, "No, thank you." He still had a lot of questions, "Who are you? Why am I on this train? Did you take me here? Where's Alfred? Why does my head hurt?"

"Whoa, whoa, too many questions at once. First, my name's Gilbert, Gilbert Belischmidt." Gilbert finished his wurst and made a two with his fingers. "Second, you're on this train because you're on this train, 'kay?"

Arthur opened his mouth to protest but quickly closed it, thinking it was best not to argue.

"Third, I did take you here, and this could possibly count as a kidnapping, but you're safer with me than anywhere else." Gilbert was about to answer Arthur's fourth question but was interrupted by Arthur's voice.

"Why did you take me here? Do you want money, Alfred can give you money." Alfred and Arthur had actually devised a plan if something like this happened and Arthur was held for ransom. This just shows how high up Alfred and his company really is.

"Okay, first rule; do not interrupt the awesome when he's speaking." Yes, Gilbert was actually talking in third person. "And for why I've taken you here, I have my reasons." Something dangerous flashed in those red eyes and Arthur felt himself shudder.

Gilbert continued talking like he had never been interrupted in the first place, "As for your boyfriend, I don't know and I honestly don't care where he is. He's probably gotten the Royal Air Force or something to search for you." Gilbert scowled; he hated everything about the American, even though he had never met him personally.

Arthur saw Gilbert's scowl and wondered what he was thinking, but let it drop. "And for why my head hurts?"

Gilbert seemed to stop brooding to himself for a moment to answer the blonde's question, "Right, well, you see I kind of hit you over the head too hard with the barrel of my gun." Gilbert scratched the back of his neck and gave Arthur a sheepish grin. "Really, I'm surprised you don't have a concussion. I left a pretty large bump, though."

Arthur reached to the back of his head and felt large lump. He cringed at the sudden pain that shot through his skull and put his arm down. "All right, so why exactly did you try and give me brain damage?"

Gilbert smirked, "Again, I have my reasons."

Arthur frowned; what was Gilbert not telling him that was so important? It clearly had a lot to do with him, so he had the right to know what was going on, right? But a part of him was glad that he didn't know because it might just scare him. The more curious and nosy part of him, however, was winning.

Gilbert got up and stretched, "We should be getting off soon." He walked to the other side of the train car and slid open the side, revealing the rolling landscape. Gilbert took in a deep breath and sighed, "Ah, fresh air, it's so awesome."

_Getting off? _Arthur thought to himself. _There probably isn't a stop for miles! This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger…_

"Ladies first," Gilbert said in a mocking tone but Arthur didn't move. "Come on, I can't wait forever!"

Arthur blinked. "You want me to…get out?"

Gilbert nodded. "Yeah, jump out."

"Jump out, are you mad?" Arthur exclaimed, giving the outside a nervous look.

"Possibly," Gilbert said with a grin. When Arthur still didn't move he sighed and walked over to the Englishman. He made Arthur stand up and led him to the side of the car, watching him carefully. "You can jump now, it'll be fine."

Arthur shook his head, his eyes wide. "No, I can't do this, it's too dangerous."

Another sigh, "Do you want me to go first? It's easy." Gilbert stood on the edge of the car and waited for just the right moment before jumping off. He landed rather catlike and began to run alongside of the train, "C'mon, Arthur!"

Arthur felt like a deer in headlights. This was crazy, he was going to fall and…and break something! He looked down and saw Gilbert say something to him, but it was lost over the deafening roar of the train. He gave his kidnapper a look of confusion before he saw Gilbert outstretch his arms, like he was going to catch something. Arthur then realized that what Gilbert was going to catch was him. Arthur closed his eyes and jumped a leap of faith.

Arthur flailed around in midair before he landed on something soft and hit the ground with a thud. He heard Gilbert groan underneath him and he scrambled off the thin man. Gilbert made some random sounds and sat up, rubbing his rear. "You're heavier than you look," Gilbert managed, still in pain.

"Sorry," Arthur mumbled and watched as the train disappeared. He looked around; the only thing he saw was a vast plain with a tree here and there. "Um, pardon me for asking, but how exactly are we going to find any form of civilization?"

Standing up and brushing off his pants, Gilbert pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and a compass. He squinted at both the paper and the compass and pointed in front of Arthur. "We go that way; Francis said to keep going east until we find a cottage. That's our safe house."

_Safe house? _Everything his new companion said just further confused him. Before he could question Gilbert any longer, a hand appeared in front of his face. He looked up a saw Gilbert, his pale skin and silver hair illuminated by the sun behind him. He looked like an…angel. He felt his cheeks burn slightly as he took Gilbert's had and boosted himself up to a standing position.

"We better get moving," Gilbert said, "we have a long way to go and I want to get there before dark." And with that, they set off.

****

Several hours later, Arthur was exhausted. His head was pounding even worse, his feet hurt, and he was starting to think that he had developing a sun burn. He was slowing down a lot, and Gilbert noticed it, too. The Prussian kept giving him words of encouragement like, "Let's keep going," and "We're almost there, Art," but it wasn't helping much.

When it started to look like Arthur might pass out, Gilbert knelt down in front of the blonde, offering to give the Englishman a piggy back ride. "Hop on, I'll carry you."

"Won't that just slow you down?" Arthur asked.

"It'll be faster if I carry you than if you pass out, _then _I have to carry you." Gilbert glanced over at the sun, showing that it would probably set in a few hours. "Come on."

Arthur frowned but did what he was told. Gilbert lifted him up and continued walking as fast as he could with his new cargo. Arthur, however, felt like a child, innocent and vulnerable. He didn't like it, so he tried to keep up a decent conversation with Gilbert about politics, sports, the stock market, etc. Gilbert, however, was getting thoroughly annoyed, but said nothing, since they would be there in about 10 minutes.

When Gilbert saw the cottage that his friend had described as the safe house, he seemed to quicken his pace. Once they arrived at the door, Gilbert checked to see if it was empty before going inside. He set Arthur down on the couch, relieved he didn't have to carry him around anymore, and went into the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat?" Gilbert asked, opening the fridge to find freshly prepared food for him and his captive.

Arthur's stomach growled. "That would be nice," he called from the couch. He was staring at the ceiling, watching the fan turn slowly around and around and around…

Gilbert came in a few moments later to this sight and shook Arthur. "Hey, Art? You okay? Ar~thur~?" Just as he was about to dump some cold water or something on the blonde before Arthur turned to look at him, tear streaming down his face. His heart seemed to break; why was he crying? He didn't like seeing the most beautiful man in the world upset. "What's wrong, Arthur? Hey, Arthur?"

"I want to go home," Arthur sobbed. "I don't know what's going on and I'm scared. O want to see Alfred, who's probably worried sick right now." Arthur hated showing weakness, but he would later blame this action on being tired from their long journey before.

"Hey, it's all right, don't cry." He bent down beside the blonde and brushed his bangs away from his face. "Ssh, it's okay, I'm here."

"No it's not okay!" Arthur shouted, slapping Gilbert's hand away. "You're a complete stranger and you've taken me god knows where and won't tell me why!" Arthur covered his face with his hands, blocking everything out.

To say Gilbert was shocked by Arthur's sudden outburst was an understatement, but he began to feel sad. He wanted Arthur to trust him, not be scared of him. "I understand; I really wish I could tell you what's going on but I just…can't."

"And why not?" Arthur snapped.

"Because I don't want to put you in more danger than you already are." He smiled softly at Arthur's confused expression before handing him a gun. "Here, take this and use it if you need it. I just hope you never need it." He stood up and headed for the outside, going to take watch for any danger. He wanted to stay inside with Arthur, but he was just making him upset.

"Gilbert…" Arthur said almost inaudibly, but the albino ignored him and slammed the door. Arthur frowned and looked at the gun in his hand. What kind of danger could he be in that required him to kill someone?

****

Alfred was not happy. Arthur had never gotten home last night and he was worried, like, _really _worried. Had Arthur been killed by one of Bragniski's men? He shuddered, he didn't want to think about things like that. If Iggy had been killed because of him…he would never forgive himself. He had called the CIA from America to start looking for his little Briton and even got several private investigators. They all came up with nothing. Alfred had remembered that Arthur went to go get ice cream last night so he decided to go look for him in the direction of the store. He felt like a super-cool detectives from one of those old superhero comics he reads.

After several hours of just looking, he was about to give up before he stumbled upon an alley. He got a bad feeling in his gut but, being Alfred, went into the alley anyway. What he found made him want to throw up. There, a woman was dead, shot in the head, lying in a pool of dried blood. From the looks of her corpse she had probably been here for a day or so. He stepped over her body carefully before bumping into something with his foot. He bent down to pick it up, finding that it was a melted tub of ice cream.

"Iggy went to go get ice cream last night…" he mumbled to himself. He looked down again to see knife in the woman's hand. "She must have cornered him and tried to kill him but...but someone got her first."

He frowned again and bent down to get some ID or something off the dead woman. He pulled out what looked like a driver's license and was glad that the words were in English. Her name was Natalia Arlovskaya; that name sounded very familiar. But who was she? Then he remembered something crucial; she was Bragniski's younger sister, the one whose husband died not that long ago. So Bragniski was behind this, but she obviously didn't take Arthur, so who did? Something dawned on him: Arthur's kidnapper save his life.

Alfred flipped his phone open and speed-dialed the CIA. "Hey, I think I've got some clues. Come to an alley off of that one street by that grocery store. The person who kidnapped Arthur isn't the bad guy."

****

**A/N: Okay, another chapter done. Thanks so much again for all those who review, they really do help me out! I'm hoping I'll get the next chapter done in a reasonable amount of time. If not, you all are free to beat me. Just go gentle with the whips, okay? I love you all!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: *dodges bricks, bullets, and rotten fruit* Hello, everyone, I'm back again. I'm a pathetic excuse of an author, really. This time it was a mixture of pickiness, procrastination, and summer camp. I wrote this about a few months ago but was never satisfied with it so I kept re-writing it until I got so frustrated that I just took a break for a while. I kept telling myself that I needed to write this because the people who are still reading this, even though it rarely gets updated, were waiting, but I never got around to it. **_**Then **_**I went to summer camp for a month and I, completely deprived of fanfiction, wrote this chapter in my journal and I was, like, "Wow…it's actually good now!" And so I typed this up when I got home and voila! This chapter was born.**

**I originally planned for this chapter to come out after I got my 50****th**** review (BTW, guys, you are so awesome), but as my procrastination got worse, you all beat me to it. So now I'm thinking about having a little be-lated celebration *puts on party hat* But seriously, I feel like there should be some kind of gift for you guys who are still sticking with me. I dunno, maybe I'll put some ideas on the ending A/N. Now, enough of my rambling, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, though I wish I did.**

* * *

_It was raining and he couldn't see clearly. He was aiming for Bragniski, but Rodreich was there being the distraction. He couldn't tell who was who, and if he missed…Gilbert couldn't even think about that. He had finally managed to stop fighting with Rodreich to realize that he was utterly head over heels for the Austrian. After they started dating, he had realized how evil Bragniski was and soon joined the resistance against him and the organization, now working as a double agent. Now it was up to him to end it all._

_Adjusting his position in the tree, he took aim through his scope, cursing at how he still couldn't see clearly. Trusting his instincts, he pulled the trigger back slowly and time seemedto slow down. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as he pulled the trigger and fired. He smiled when he heard a scream but then his eyes turned to saucers when he realized it wasn't Bragniski screaming. Rodreich!_

_He jumped down from his tree, completely abandoning his gun, and ran as fast as he could toward the mansion. He stormed into the front door and ran upstairs, not caring that he was soaked, the only thing he thinking about was Rodreich. _He has to be all right…he has to be! I was probably just mistaken!

_Unfortunately, Gilbert wasn't mistaken. He threw the balcony doors open and saw Rodreich on the ground, laying in a pool of his own blood. "No…" Gilbert said, falling to his knees. "No, this can't be happening!" _

_He picked the dead man up gently and held him in his arms. "Roddy…Roddy please, talk to me!" His stomach was in knots now and hot tears rolled down his face. He hadn't cried since his father ied all those years ago. He looked at Rodreich; he was even beautiful in death. He closed Rodreich's now monochromatic eyes and just held his love close. It was his fault…all his fault…_

_Gilbert felt a strong hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Bragniski looking at him with his cold violet eyes and his trademark childish smile. "He was your next assignment, Gilbert, but I see you already got to it." The cold hand patted Gilbert's head. "I was beginning to believe you had betrayed me, Gilbert, but I'm glad you are still loyal to me. Are you glad, da?"_

_Gilbert didn't respond but just knelt there with Rodreich in his arms, the aristocrat now going cold. It had been his fault, he had missed. He never missed. Maybe he really was supposed to work for Bragniski. After some time, he set Rodreich down lovingly and got to his feet. He wiped Rodreich blood off of his hands and turned to Bragniski, fire in his scarlet eyes._

"_Yes, I am…glad."_

* * *

"Falling asleep at your post? That doesn't sound like you, mon ami."

Gilbert cracked his eyes open at the voice from nowhere and quickly jumped up, holding his gun to the chest of the blonde in front of him. He sighed when he realized who it was and that he and Arthur (but mostly Arthur) were not in any danger. One of his best friends, Francis Bonnefoy, was standing above him with a smug look on his face. Behind him, Gilbert had to squint to see who it was; his other friend and Francis' boyfriend, Matthew Williams.

Gilbert rubbed his eyes and sat up. "When did you get here?" He asked, suppressing a yawn and he realized it was still nighttime.

"About thirty seconds ago," Francis said, checking his non-existent watch for no apparent reason. The Frenchman then pulled Gilbert into a hug and whispered, "Is he here?"

Gilbert nodded and whispered back, "Yes, he's inside." They were whispering just in case someone was listening. Just because this was a 'safe house' didn't mean it had a force field. He let go of Francis and opened the door, ushering the two inside. "Come inside, quickly!"

The two blondes rolled their eyes at their friend's urgency before strolling inside to just piss him off. Francis scoffed at the small size but sat down on the couch anyway, but he felt something lumpy and jumped up. He then saw that he had sat down on a person, a sleeping person at that.

"Is that…?" Francis whispered and Gilbert nodded. He lifted the other's face from the pillow to examine him and snickered at the size of his eyebrows. They looked like two fuzzy caterpillars! Francis had only known one other person in his lifetime with eyebrows of that size. "On hon hon, Gilbert, his eyebrows are massive!"

Gilbert glared at him. "Keep it down; you'll wake him up," Gilbert hissed, but he was also angry about Francis' comment. He didn't think they were _that _terrible, if anything they were kind of cute. Besides, they brought attention to the most beautiful part of the man: his emerald green eyes.

Francis noticed Gilbert had on a strange look, a look that most people wore when they were head over heels for someone. He grinned rather cat-like, knowing exactly what was going through his friend's mind. He was so good with l'amour, after all. "What is his name, Gilbert~?"

Gilbert snapped out of his thoughts, "What?" He then realized what his friend had asked him. "Oh, right, it's Arthur. Arthur Kirkland."

Both Matthew and Francis' eyes went wide, but for different reasons. Matthew remembered that was his brother's current boyfriend, and if he was being hunted down, that meant his brother was in danger, too. He felt himself begin to get worried; Matthew watched Alfred and Arthur fell in love and Alfred had practically forgotten him, but he didn't mind, most people did anyway, except for Francis, who he had met when he was being hunted down by Bragniski because of Alfred, also. Francis, unlike Gilbert, was part of the resistance league going against Braginski and his assassins, and they had met Gilbert, who at the time was a double agent. Bragniski had found out and, well, Gilbert's boyfriend and childhood friend, Rodreich Edelstein, had been killed. The Prussian had never been the same since.

Francis, however, remembered that he used to live down the street from Arthur when they were children. They had fought constantly, they even went so far as to say they hated each other, but Francis had always seen him as a little brother. When Arthur moved away for college, he had never seen him again, and it was amazing that they were to meet this way. It was a true twist of fate!

Gilbert had noticed the two's reactions and gave them a curious look. "What's wrong?" He questioned, wondering if there was something about his new love interest he didn't know about.

Matthew opened his mouth to respond, but Francis beat him to it. "I used to know little Arthur when we were children! He has grown so much!" Francis exclaimed, looking down at Arthur's sleeping form.

"Could you be any louder?" Gilbert growled, in a bad mood because of the nightmare. "He's been through a lot and he must be exhausted, so don't wake him up."

Francis would normally comment about how clearly Gilbert was in love with the Briton, but said nothing, thinking it was best to not get on Gilbert's nerves. "Right, I apologize, mon ami." Francis was actually glad Gilbert was able to love again. He had been so worried for his friend all these years and it looked like things were beginning to get better.

"Do you two want anything to eat? Drink?" Gilbert offered, breaking the slightly awkward silence.

"I would like a coffee," Francis said, actually quite tired from the journey from headquarters. Once Gilbert had contacted Matthew and him about rescuing one of Bragniski's targets and going to this safe house, they rushed here from Germany (where headquarters were. Gilbert's brother, Ludwig, was kind enough to let them use his house) to help.

Matthew shook his head, "I don't want anything, thanks."

Gilbert nodded and led them to the kitchen. The Prussian was glad that the safe house had things that weren't expired. Putting the pot on the stove he asked, "How is Elizaveta?"

Glancing at each other nervously, Matthew and Francis didn't know how to respond. Elizaveta, the founder of the resistance and Gilbert's childhood friend, had gone missing and they hadn't heard from her in months.

"Sh-she's good," Matthew finally said, thinking it was best to not tell Gilbert for now.

"That's good," he mumbled. No matter how many times they had fought, their friendship was too strong to be severed. She helped him realize he was in love with Rodreich, whih was strange, seeing as her and Rodreich had gotten divorced just a month before.

When Francis' coffee was ready, Gilbert poured it into a cup before giving it to the Frenchman. Francis nodded in thanks before taking a sip. There was another awkward silence; no one really knew what to say, anyway. The y hadn't seen each other in two years, so they had grown quite distant. That made Francis sad, seeing as they used to be inseparable before this whole Bragniski mess started. Everything bad that happened always seemed to be Bragniski's fault.

"Gilbert?" A quiet voice called from the doorway, breaking the silence. Gilbert turned his head to see a rather sleepy Arthur standing in the doorway. The blonde stretched before coming to sit down at the table next to Francis. It was then that he noticed the other two, "Who are they?"

Francis wasn't surprised that Arthur didn't remember him, seeing that it was so long ago. He smiled and said, "I am Francis, Francis Bonnefy. Gilbert has told me that your name is Arthur, oui?"

"Yeah, it is," Arthur said, laying his head on the table. "I feel like I've met you before, but I can't remember where…" Arthur's eyes went wide. "FROG!"

Francis chuckled, "Yours truly, mon lapin."

"How did you…it's been years…" Arthur said, dumbfounded.

"It must be fate, Arthur~"

Arthur glanced behind Francis and saw another familiar face. Alfred? No, it wasn't Alfred, but it looked like him. Arthur then remembered Alfred had a twin brother. Mathias? Marcus? Melvin? Why couldn't he remember?

"I'm Matthew, Matthew Williams," Matthew said, noticing that Arthur seemed to be trying to remember him.

Matthew…that's right, he remembered now! "You're Alfred's brother, right?"

Matthew nodded, surprised. "Yeah, I'm glad you remember me."

Gazing at the two blondes, Arthur was still trying to wrap his head around this whole situation. After he was saved/kidnapped by Gilbert and taken to the middle of nowhere, he then reunites with two people he didn't think he'd ever see again. What the bloody hell was going on here?

The sound of Francis clearing his throat distracted Arthur from his questioning thoughts. "Gilbert? May I speak with you? Alone?" Gilbert nodded in response and the two went off into the house somewhere, closing a door behind them.

"So…" Matthew said, trying to start up a conversation. "How have you been?"

"I've been well, thank you," Arthur replied, and it was mostly true. "You?"

"I've been fine, also…" And soon, the conversation was dead again. Matthew sighed; he used to be able to talk to Arthur about anything, and now he couldn't. What a wonder a few years could do to a friendship.

"Sorry if this is rude," Arthur said suddenly, "but what are you two doing here? I mean, I practically get kidnapped by a man I don't even know and then two people who I haven't talked to in _years _show up and you both seem to be friends with Gilbert." Arthur ran his fingers through his hair, this obviously troubling him.

The Canadian looked at Arthur, a frown on his face. So Arthur didn't even know he was being hunted down? Why wasn't Gilbert telling him? He kind of had the right to know. Matthew put on his signature smile so Arthur wouldn't worry anymore. "It's all right; I bet Gilbert will tell you eventually."

Arthur paused for a moment. "…yeah." Arthur stood up and said, "I need to use the restroom." And with that, he left.

* * *

Wandering some dark corridors, Arthur was soon lost. And how does one get lost in a house this small? Well, Arthur did, and he felt incredibly stupid for doing so. Why did this house seem so bloody large? And where the hell was the loo? It couldn't be that hard, right?

Finally, Arthur saw a room with a light on but the door was closed. As he got closer to the door, he heard muffled voices coming from inside. When he got close enough, he realized that the voices belonged to Francis and Gilbert and it sounded like they were arguing. Arthur pressed his ear against the door to hear better. A little eavesdropping never hurt anyone, right?

"You have to tell him eventually," said Francis' voice, sounding exasperated. "Soon he'll start asking questions-."

"No," Gilbert's voice interjected, "I don't have to tell him anything. The less he knows the safer he is."

"But what if you two are attacked?" Francis was pleading now. "Gilbert, it is best."

A crash, like something was broken. "No! I won't let anything happen to him. Not like last time…" Gilbert now sounded pained, like bad memories were plaguing him.

Francis' voice softened, "Mon ami, you couldn't help that-."

"Yes I could have. I missed my target; it's my fault Rodriech is dead." Arthur felt sad for Gilbert, it sounded like the albino and this Rodreich were close. But what did he mean by missing his target?

"I'm done talking," Gilbert said, his voice quivering, like he was on the brink of tears.

As Gilbert's footsteps got closer to the door, it took Arthur a moment to realize that Gilbert would discover that Arthur was eavesdropping if he didn't move soon. Arthur scrambled up and was acting like he was walking down the hall right when Gilbert opened the door. His kidnapper didn't say anything but their eyes did meet for a moment, red clashing with green. Gilbert's eyes weren't filled with anger, but it looked like…pain. Before Arthur could say anything, Gilbert turned on his heel and stormed off the other way.

Francis came out of the room shortly after and sighed as he watched his friend. He gave Arthur a small smile, his face full of pity. Francis then left as well, leaving Arthur alone to his own confused thoughts.

* * *

**A/N: So there you go, chapter five of this little fanfiction. Wow, I've come a long way. I feel like my writing has improved since the first chapter *wipes away a tear* I'm so proud of myself.**

**Wow…that sounded slightly narcissistic…**

**Anyway, on with the review celebration! I guess you lot can vote on this, or come up with ideas of your own in the reviews, I don't know.**

**Option one: A bonus chapter with some past USUK before Gilbert showed up.**

**Option two: A new fic written by me with either Genderbent-ness or MPreg (maybe with this option I can practice my smut skills…it would be awkward if my parents found that on my computer…)**

**So yeah, that's all I got for now. If you have a better idea, write me a nice review and I'll consider it. So, for now, aideu! I love you all! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm not even going to make excuses anymore, this is ridiculous. When did I last update again? Like, five months ago? I suck, I really do suck. But I do thank you guys for sticking with my lazy ass and actually reading this "story", if you can call it that anyway.**

**But I feel so bad because I wanted to write a supermegaawesomefoxyhot chapter for you guys because of my absence and…I wrote this abomination. It's just…bad. And boring. And short. And AGGHGHGHAHGHH. It's all choppy, there's barely any detail…**

***emo corner* I don't even know why I try anymore…**

**But if you're brave enough to actually read this, go ahead. I'm not stopping you, but I'll be there for you when your eyes start bleeding from the horribleness of this chapter. **

**But yeah, now that I've realized more than, like, two people are reading this story, I want to get a Beta or whatever to help prevent these half-assed chapters. I tried looking for one but I couldn't figure it out (I know, I know, I'm such a fail). So, yeah, if you want to be a Beta for me, just send me a PM or something and I'll get back to you on it~ Don't be sad if it takes me awhile to reply, ffn doesn't like to send me emails for some reason.**

**So, yeah, enjoy the new chapter (which I doubt you will.**

* * *

Arthur wiped the sweat off his brow before sticking his spade back into the soft earth below him. He carefully took a flower out of its pot and stuck it into the freshly dug hole. He patted the dirt around the flower softly, as if he was tending to a newborn child. Gilbert had let him start a small garden at the safe house, seeing as he missed the one back home so much. Gardening was Arthur's guilty pleasure; he would often be made fun of for it in grade school. But now there was only the four of them, but Francis still made fun of him anyway. Arthur twitched angrily just thinking about the bastard.

"Water?" Arthur looked up from his digging to see Gilbert carrying a glass of water and a mug of beer.

"Yes, please." Arthur took the glass of water and gulped it down eagerly.

Gilbert smirked as he sat down next to the Englishman, not caring if he got his pants dirty. "Thirsty?" Gilbert asked teasingly and only laughed more when Arthur just nodded, too busy chugging the water. "Well, I don't blame 'ya, someone could pass out in this heat."

Arthur cringed at Gilbert's grammar, but said nothing, still drinking. When he finally finished the glass, Arthur gasped for breath. He rolled his eyes when Gilbert whistled and began to clap. "Oh, shut it."

"Nein, that was quite a feat, I'm just complimenting you." The albino stopped clapping and leaned back on his hands, his ruby eyes looking straight into Arthur's emerald ones. Arthur blushed and looked away.

_They're like gems, _Arthur thought to himself. _No, stop it! Stop thinking about him that way! _

Ever since Arthur had met Gilbert, he had always felt…strange around him. Arthur didn't really know why, but he always chastised himself for it and pushed the feelings away.

"Art? Hey, Art!" Arthur looked around, confused for a moment. Gilbert made a 'tch' sound. "You totally zoned out when the awesome me was talking! That is _so _not awesome!"

The sandy blonde just rolled his eyes, "Oh, I am so _sorry_, Gilbert the Awesome. Please forgive me, your awesomeness!" Arthur's voice _reeked _with sarcasm.

"Oh, shut up, one day you will come to appreciate my awesome." Gilbert chose to ignore Arthur's 'awesome my arse' and continued on. "_Anyway, _as I was saying before _someone _interrupted my awesome, Mattie's going in town today to do some shopping and shit, and he asked me to ask you if you wanted to come."

Arthur looked surprised. "Town? He's going to town?"

"Yeah, I just said that," Gilbert said. "Are you deaf?"

Arthur ignored that. "I'd love to," he said, his voice sounding dreamy. In the two months that they had been hiding here, Arthur had never been allowed to leave the safe house. Arthur didn't exactly know _why, _and it frustrated him. But now he was going to see civilization! Arthur didn't even know where they were, so it would be interesting to see the town.

"Now, now, don't get too excited, it's just some grocery shopping." Gilbert was acting cool, but he was terrified. He had become so protective of Arthur, and it frustrated him. No one had affected him like this since-

"When are we leaving?" Arthur's voice interrupted him from his thoughts and he shook his head to clear his cogitation.

"In fifteen minutes." Matthew had now stepped out to Arthur's garden, dressed to go. The pair didn't hear him, so he repeated it louder. "We're leaving in fifteen minutes."

Arthur jumped, "M-Matthew! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"I-I didn't…" Again, no one heard him.

"Well, I should get in the shower and get dressed then!" Arthur ran into the house, Gilbert's eyes trailing after him.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Gilbert asked nervously, wringing his hands.

Matthew rolled his eyes, "You shouldn't worry so much."

"I can't help it; he's got Braginski after him." The atmosphere darkened at the mention of the Russian. Matthew knew about Gilbert's past with the tall man; it was horrifying, really. No one should have to go through that in their life time.

"You still haven't told him, have you?" Gilbert said nothing and looked down. "Hasn't it been long enough? He's not a child, Gilbert."

Gilbert sighed, "I know that, it's just…" Gilbert trailed off, looking for the right words. "I just think if I don't tell him, he'll be in less danger."

"If you ignore things, Gilbert, they won't go away." Matthew was worried for his friend; he knew what had happened to Roderich and how Gilbert had blamed himself for the Austrian's death.

"I know, I just want to…protect him."

* * *

"Do you have your gun, Arthur?" The four current residents of the safe house were standing by Francis' Mercedes on the small driveway. Arthur and Matthew were about to leave, but of course Gilbert had to make sure Arthur was going to be safe first.

"No, _mum, _I think carrying a gun around a small village would be a little suspicious." Arthur rolled his eyes at Gilbert's motherly behavior.

Gilbert frowned, "You can never be too careful."

Arthur shook his head and got into the passenger's seat of the car, "Goodbye, Gilbert…frog."

"You wound me, mon cher!" Francis said, melodramatic as usual. Arthur just scowled at the Frenchman, used to this behavior. Francis had always acted the same, even when they were kids.

"Bye, guys," Matthew said and got into the driver's side, starting the car. He backed out of the driveway and continued on the small country road towards the town.

Arthur noticed Gilbert watching him with trepidation and just scoffed. That git always worried too much, it was rather annoying at times. But a warm feeling formed in his stomach whenever he thought about it. Did Gilbert…care for him? No, that couldn't be right; the only relationship they shared was kidnapper and kidnapee. He most certainly did _not _have feelings for that idiot.

Arthur scowled to himself; this was Stockholm syndrome at its finest.

But it was so frustrating! Why did Gilbert kidnap him in the first place? And what did he gain from it? Kidnappers usually had a motive for kidnapping someone, and they usually wanted something from it. The whole ordeal was strange, really, and Arthur had no idea what was going on. Arthur hated not knowing things.

"We're here." Arthur looked up and was surprised that they had parked in front of a parking meter. Had the car ride really been that quick? He undid his seat belt and stepped out, observing his surroundings.

It was a small town; it had little shops and boutiques lining the street and there were a few cars parked. He saw people waving at each other, so he assumed it was one of those villages where everyone knew each other. It was, in one word, cute.

Matthew got out and waved for Arthur to follow him. "Come on, Arthur." Arthur followed the Canadian on the narrow sidewalk, looking in some shop windows. When they had finally arrived to a small shopping mart, Arthur stepped in and followed Matthew to get a cart.

Matthew handed Arthur a basket and asked, "Hey, Art, can you go to the cereal aisle? We have a lot of stuff to get and I think we'll get things done faster if we split up." A nod was Matthew's response and the Canadian smiled. "Awesome! I'll meet you in the produce, okay?"

Arthur took the basket and headed past each aisle, looking at the signs hanging from the ceiling briefly. When he finally reached the cereal aisle, he stared at all of the boxes, not sure which ones to pick. He observed all of the bright colors and the cartoon characters with distaste, not sure how people could stand to eat those things. He took a box of Cocoa Puff's off the shelf, knowing Gilbert liked them, some Mini-Wheat's, and some waffle cereal that tasted like maple syrup for Matthew.

"I'm good at shopping," Arthur said to himself, proud. Several minutes later, he met up with Matthew at the produce section and greeted the shy Canadian. "Did I get enough?" He asked, shuffling through the boxes.

Matthew looked at the boxes and shook his head; Arthur had gone a little overboard, as usual. "Yeah, Art, you got plenty." Matthew took the boxes of cereal out of Arthur's basket and put them in the cart and put the basket back.

They went through check out quickly and soon they were loading the car full of groceries. Arthur was depressed that all he got to do in civilization was buy some bloody cereal. They didn't so anything interesting, and god knows when Gilbert would let him leave the house again. Arthur looked at Matthew for a moment, realizing that the younger man was distracted, Arthur walked back in the direction of the village quickly so Matthew wouldn't see him.

_I'm just going sightseeing, _Arthur said to himself, _what's the worst that could happen?_

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Arthur was completely lost. He didn't know how he would get lost in a town this small, but he was lost. He crossed another street, hoping he could re-trace his steps somehow. Of course, all these turns just got him more lost. He went down a narrow alley way, trying to think of a way to find Matthew again.

_You could just ask for directions, _Arthur thought, and then shook his head. _Don't be ridiculous, you don't need directions. _

Arthur heard a _click _sound by his head and gasped, recognizing that sound. Someone had just cocked a gun, and now said gun was pointed by his head.

"Don't move," a female voice said and Arthur did what he was told, instantly regretting ditching Matthew.

_"What's the worst that could happen?", my arse._

* * *

**A/N: So…that's it. I hate this chapter with every fiber of my being. It's…just terrible. I couldn't think of anything else to write and stuff… But there's a cliff hanger! Those are good…right? Right? Twelve awesome points to whomever guesses who it is, awarded by Prussia himself.**

**As for the bonus chapter/new fic thing, I'm not really sure what to write for either of those. So, I was thinking instead that you guys can post ideas in the reviews or whatever of what you want me to write and I'll pick one or more of them to write~**

**Unless it's, like, a really good idea or something. If it's really good, you should write it and make it a fic yourself. Get some recognition for it!**

**So, reviews are loved, and I'll try to start replying to them. Ta ta for now, my lovelies~ **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: *crawls out of bush* …I am so sorry.**

**I am officially the worst writer on FFN. I keep you guys waiting for choppy, rushed, and short chapters like this piece of suck here. It's been so long since I last updated and it's totally my fault! I have been really addicted to RPing and I've had major writer's block with this fic. Hopefully I'll figure out exactly what the hell I want to do with this piece of shit before I update again. Thank you for waiting this long though, it really means a lot! **

**Also, I'm looking for a beta to help me improve things. I've checked a few ones out but they haven't responded. If any one of you would like to beta for me, just PM me or something. It would really mean a lot and would really help me out with editing and the writing in general.**

**BTW, do you guys like Ameripan? It's become my obsession recently (along with Spamano, but I've always been obsessed with that pairing) and I just love it. Do you guys want me to write an Ameripan in the near future? I'll probably update that one more and I have lots of ideas. Or do you want me to write more PrUK? Sorry, I just feel really bad for leaving you guys with that cliff hanger for so long. I will try my best to update more! I swear on all things Hetalia I will!**

**Thank you for reviewing, it really means a lot. It helps me know that you guys actually care about this. You guys are my inspiration! I wouldn't even be this far without you! So feel free to leave your thoughts/criticisms for me and I'll try to respond in the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: Does anyone really read these? Anyway, I don't own Hetalia. Trust me, I'm not that creative. All rights belong to Hidekaz Himaruya. However, my writing does belong to me.**

* * *

"What do you fucking mean you lost him?" Gilbert screamed, slamming his hand on the kitchen table.

Matthew winced, he could tell Gilbert was pissed- no, pissed was too weak of a descriptor. Basllistic was a better word to describe him. The blonde sighed and shifted his cell phone in his hand. "I was loading the groceries in the car and I guess he wandered off. I had my back turned for half a second and he was gone."

"He could be in serious danger here!" The albino continued to rage, his face a deep shade of red. "Or have you forgotten that he has a psycho assassin after him, Matthew?"

"Gilbert, calm down," Matthew said softly, his voice barely above a whisper as usual. "It's a small village; he couldn't have wandered off too far."

"But Ivan probably has his goons all over the place! He could have been captured and brought back to Ivan to be tortured or something!"

"Gilbert…"

"Or worse, they would kill him _after _they torture him!"

"Gil-"

"Or he could already be dead-"

"Gilbert!" The German man was taken aback by Matthew's sudden increase in volume. "Stop worrying so much, we're going to find him and he'll be all right, okay?"

"I guess…" Gilbert let out an exasperated sigh and collapsed back into the chair underneath him. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Mattie. That was really unawesome…" He leaned against his palm, his fingers tugging on his silver hair lightly. "I'm just really worried about him."

Matthew smiled somberly. "We're all worried, but everything's going to be fine. Francis just got here to help me look. We'll find him and come right home, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Mattie. I'll see you later." He hung up without giving the other man a chance to say goodbye. He exhaled once again, leaning back against his chair and looking at the ceiling fan above him. He didn't know why he was so worried. He just knew he would never forgive himself if something happened to Arthur; it would be like Roderich all over again. They were really alike; stuck up, fussy, and they always found a reason to yell at him. But somehow, he had fallen for both of them. Hard.

He had realized it a while ago, actually, that he was in love with the Englishman. The way he talked, the way he constantly gardened, and that adorable shade of red that Arthur's face turned when embarrassed. He guessed it was because Arthur reminded him so much of Roderich, which seemed like he was just using Arthur as a rebound, but he wasn't. He had a strong feeling that this was different.

But it was totally obvious Arthur didn't feel the same way, and it killed him. If it was any other one night stand, he would have just charmed them to bed, but this was different. He wanted to have a serious relationship with Arthur, which was a big step for him. Ever since Roderich…_passed, _Gilbert hadn't been able to settle down. He would usually go out, get drunk, get someone to go to bed with him, wake up next to someone he may or may not have remembered their name, and leave before they woke up. But now…

_I need a drink. _He heaved himself up and sulked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and leaned down, inspecting its contents. _Beer, beer, beer… _He found a can and opened it with ease, somewhat satisfied with the 'hiss' sound it made. He took a swig, letting it sit in his mouth for a minute before swallowing. He felt somewhat relieved; really, all this stress was so unawesome.

So he went back to his table and sat, waiting for any news of Arthur.

* * *

"State your business," the voice asked, pressed the barrel of the gun harder against Arthur's temple.

Arthur swallowed the gun icy cold against his skin. He felt beads of sweat beginning to form on his forehead. "U-uh…I…I…" he stammered. He knew what to say, but the words died in his mouth.

"Are you with Ivan Bragniski?" The voice asked.

"W-what? Who are you-?"

"_Are you with Ivan Bragniski?_" The voice asked again, more like a command.

"N-no! I have no idea who that is!" Arthur exclaimed, raising his hands, as if to defend himself.

"Who are you? What is your name?"

Arthur was getting rather annoyed with all the questions his assailant was asking him, but seeing as he had a gun to his head, he didn't express his irritation. "A-Arthur Kirkland."

Then, his attacker lowered the gun and Arthur turned around to face her, ready to defend himself if needed. However, instead of the rather large woman he imagined, he was looking at a rather beautiful woman with long brown hair and green eyes, similar to Arthur's. However, he could tell she wasn't a force to be reckoned with.

"I knew you looked familiar," she said, placing the gun back into the holster at her side. "So, you _are _associated with Ivan. Are you in hiding? Or are you on the run?"

"I do not mean to be rude, miss, but I have no idea what you're talking about." Arthur was really confused. He wanted to go home more than ever. And why would someone pursue him? He really wasn't that significant.

"Ivan Bragniski runs an organization of assassins," the woman deadpanned. "You're being hunted by him, well, Gilbert Belischmidt in particular, but we don't need to get into details-."

"Wait, wait, wait, you know _Gilbert?" _Things just kept getting stranger and stranger.

The brunette gaped, her mouth hanging open in shock. "You know Gilbert? Where did you meet him? How? Has he tried to hurt you?"

"He's kidnapped me," Arthur explained, "and he won't tell me why. It's rather annoying, really."

There was a silence between the two for a minute before his attacker let out a short laugh. "It really is a fucking small world…" She shook her head. "My name is Elizaveta Héderváry, it's a pleasure to meet you." She stuck out her hand in greeting.

Arthur looked down at her hand, then back at her face, before shaking her hand cautiously. "Pleasure…" He still had no idea why this 'Elizaveta' had attacked him and was still rather tense.

Elizaveta laughed, lifting the mood. "Chill out! I'm not going to slit your throat or anything!"

"Well, you just had me at gunpoint just a moment ago…"

"Touché…" Another silence before she spoke up again. "So, I guess Gilly's back on our side now. Well, that's good, we could use them."

Arthur cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but what are you talking about? And why is this Ivan character trying to kill me? And what does this have to do with Gilbert?"

Elizaveta exhaled. "I guess I'm not surprised Gilbert hasn't told you yet. I bet he thinks he's 'protecting' you or something." She made a 'tch' sound. "He'll never change…"

"How do you know him exactly?" Arthur was getting more irritated, seeing as he still wasn't getting any answers.

"We grew up together," she said. "It was just him, Roderich, and me. We all lived in East Germany before the wall fell down and, well, Ivan…_recruited _us. Soon we figured out what Ivan was doing…wasn't right, so we joined a resistance against him. What happened from there… I think you would have to ask Gilbert."

Arthur was beginning to trust this girl more, but wasn't sure. "He won't tell me anything. He's _insufferable _sometimes."

Elizaveta chuckled. "He'll never change… So, are you guys in hiding, or what?"

"We're in hiding in a safe house just outside of this village," Arthur spilled, ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him that he shouldn't be telling her this. "We've been there for a couple of months, actually."

Elizaveta nodded. "Would you mind taking me there? I'd like to see him." She had a certain glint in his eye that Arthur couldn't tell if it was excited or somewhat mischievous.

"Well, er, I came here with a friend- Matthew Jones, if you have met him before- and I, well…I sort of got lost." A light pink flooded to his cheeks at admitting how stupid he had been lately.

"Oh, that's perfectly fine! I'll help you find your way back to him, all right?" She smiled warmly at him and the nervousness that Arthur felt seemed to fade away. He liked Elizaveta so far. She was nice and seemed relatively caring. And if she was friends with Gilbert, she must be rather patient.

Arthur nodded. "His car is parked by the supermarket."

Elizaveta took his hand and began leading Arthur in the dark, pulling him forcefully. "Well let's go!" And so, Arthur was being led by either his savior or the person who could take his life. All he had to do was just wait and see.

* * *

**A/N: So, that's it… I'm so sorry. I'll try and see if I can do better with the next chapter. I guess I just need more inspiration. *sigh* Thank you for reading/putting up with me for this long! I love you all! Please review, if you can~ *crawls back into bush***

***crawls back out* Oh! I almost forgot! Congrats to xIkuna who guessed it was Lizzy first! Prussia, her awesome points, if you would.**

**Prussia: Kesesese~ You're awesome. Not as Awesome as I am, though. *rewards points***

**Yayy! Thanks, again, everyone! ^_^ *crawls back into bush for the last time***


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